Can Over-Pruning Kill My Tree, and How Much Is Too Much?

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Can over-pruning kill your tree? Absolutely. But here’s the kicker – most homeowners don’t realise they’re doing damage until it’s too late. Let’s look at how to prune a tree properly without turning it into firewood, or a sorry woody shell of a scarecrow.

1. The Harsh Truth About Over-Pruning

Trees aren’t like hedges. (See hedge trimming here)They can’t just bounce back from a brutal trim. Remove too much, and you’re essentially starving them. Often slower growing, they rely on the steady growth they have made over the year. Carefully growing branches to absorb as much light as possible for the different seasons.

They have grown to withstand prevailing winds and most of all have leaves to cover branches where it benefits the tree the most.

The 25% rule: Never remove more than a quarter of the canopy in one year
The death spiral: Over-pruning → Fewer leaves → Less food → Weakness → Disease → Goodnight tree

2. How to Spot Over-Pruning (Before It's Too Late)

Trees will try their best to recover. After all, during a storm a tree may lose a limb or snap in half, but these all generally leave the tree able to cope. When tree pruning however, there is so much that can be taken away, your tree just cannot cope.

Your tree sends distress signals if you’ve gone too far too:

🚩 “Lion’s tailing” (it looks like clumps of leaves at branch ends with bare wood behind)
🚩 Sunburn patches on previously shaded bark
🚩 Water sprouts – those ugly vertical shoots are SOS flares from your tree

If your tree looks like it’s had a bad haircut, it probably has.

3. Glasgow's Worst Pruning Offences

Through our tree pruning services, we’ve seen every mistake in the book, here are some that stand out and should be avoided:

The Topper
Chopping the top off mature trees (usually “to reduce height”). This butchery creates weak regrowth and decay. Sometimes with the tree decaying from the centre down to the base and creating a tree that is both dangerous and ultimately dies.

The Lollipop
Stripping all lower branches for clearance. Trees need those lower limbs for stability in our windy climate. Often times, the wind force is now so ill adjusted the tree is simply blown over.

The Butcher
Using blunt tools that tear rather than cut. Ragged wounds invite disease.

Although we may make light of these terms, it is in all seriousness a lot more damaging to both the tree and the potential dangers which may be invited due to bad pruning. Take some time to let consider what is needed and how to do it properly.

4. How to Prune Properly (Without Killing Your Tree)

Good pruning is like good surgery – precise and considered. The tree must always be considered as a whole. If you are looking at just the lower limbs and want to remove them for light this is where you’ll run into problems.

Think of the overall shape and size of the tree. How has it grown to reach the light it needs to feed itself, and protect itself from the prevailing winds. When you see the whole tree, then you’ll better understand how a bad prune can really upset that balance. Here’s how we do it:

✔ Take a photo first. It is easy to get carried away and then not realise how much has been taken off.
✔ The 3-cut method for heavy limbs (prevents bark tearing)
✔ Prune in winter (when trees are dormant)
✔ Keep tools sharp and clean (wipe with disinfectant between cuts)

Exception: Deadwood can be removed any time so long as the weight balance of a tree is considered. Always safety first.

5. When to Call the Professionals

You should definitely call us if:

The branches are thicker than your forearm
You need to climb a ladder to reach them
The tree is near power lines
You’re not 100% sure what you’re doing

Remember: Can over-pruning kill your tree? Yes. Can a professional prune save it? Also yes.

It is important to think about how a tree can be managed over time with a tree surgeon directing and managing it for you. A professional will advise on how much to take each year to be able to still enjoy your tree and avoid unnecessary damage. Like everything we own, our gardens and the trees within them need our attention.

6. How Benson's Does It Differently

Our Glasgow tree pruning service isn’t just about cutting – it’s about understanding:

🌳 Species-specific approaches (birches need different care to oaks)
🌳 Future growth planning (we prune with the next 5 years in mind)
🌳 Storm-proofing (crucial in our windy city)